Pile fabrics are manufactured for several different end uses, including as towels, terry fabrics, cleaning products, carpets and the like. Pile fabrics are considered advantageous in view of their light weight, softness, ability to pick up particles and absorb moisture. In cases where pile fabrics are used to manufacture towels or terry fabrics, there is a growing need for improving moisture absorption and reducing drying time while enabling manufacture of fabrics with a pleasant aesthetic look and feel.
FIG. 1A illustrates a pile fabric 100 of the towel type, having a surface region 102. Pile fabrics of the kind illustrated in FIG. 1A typically comprise a woven ground fabric comprising a plurality of substantially parallel warp yarns, and a plurality of substantially parallel weft yarns—wherein the plurality of weft yarns intersect the plurality of warp yarns substantially perpendicularly. Additionally, a plurality of pile yarns are woven through the ground fabric in a pile weave—which pile weave forms a plurality of pile loops above and below the woven ground fabric.
FIG. 1B provides a magnified view of surface region 102 of pile fabric 100. Surface region 102 illustrates the woven ground fabric comprising a plurality of warp yarns 104a to 104c, substantially perpendicular weft yarns 106a to 106c, and pile yarns woven in a pile weave so as to form pile loops 108a to 108c raised above the ground fabric. While not illustrated in FIG. 1B, it would be understood that a pile fabric may include pile loops on both sides of the ground fabric.
Pile yarn is generally a low-twist yarn, since pile loops seek provide surface area for absorption of water, and the low-twist improves absorption by imparting wicking properties. Warp and weft yarns within the ground fabric are generally (but not necessarily) hard twisted (i.e. are high-twist) in comparison with the pile yarn.
Manufacture of pile yarns, warp yarns and/or weft yarns may involve doubling or plying of two or more yarns. Generally in the case of pile yarn for manufacture of towel or terry fabrics, doubling involves twisting a first non-water soluble yarn (e.g. a cotton yarn) and a second water soluble yarn (e.g. a yarn made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)) together so that the resulting 2-ply yarn has improved strength and can be subjected to higher tension during the weaving process. In certain cases, the first non-water soluble yarn and the second water soluble yarn are twisted together in a direction opposite to the twist direction of the non-water soluble yarn. The water soluble yarn or fibre is thereafter dissolved, leaving behind a woven fabric comprising entirely of non-water soluble yarn.
In manufacturing terry fabrics, properties such as low twist, and increased thickness or bulkiness are considered advantageous. Additionally, manufacturers constantly seek to improve tactile feel and aesthetic characteristics of terry fabrics.
In terms of aesthetic characteristics, pile fabrics present particular complexities, since it is important to have consistent aesthetic characteristics across the dimension of the fabric. While known methods for patterning pile fabrics include printing a pattern on the fabric surface or forming the fabric using a jacquard weave or knit process, there is a need for other improvements in pile manufacturing technologies for achieving advantageous aesthetic and tactile characteristics.
The present invention seeks to provide pile fabrics with improved tactile properties, particle pick-up and moisture absorption and reduced drying time, while presenting aesthetically pleasing characteristics.